Chapter 194: Taking Risks

From Jinling to the border, Xie Wei had accompanied her under the pretext of helping Jiang Boyou bring her back to the capital. However, just moments ago, Xie Wei’s carriage had taken a fork in the road, while Xie Wei himself had quietly hidden in her carriage.

In an instant, Jiang Xuening could deduce—

Whoever was lurking in the shadows seemed to be targeting Xie Wei.

The carriage was eerily quiet.

Half of the horses had followed Xie Wei’s carriage, and even Jian Shu, the driver, hadn’t gotten off the carriage.

Outside, the sound of hooves clattering on the official road continued as usual, accompanied by the low murmurs of the accompanying guards. She could also hear the faint rustle of the carriage wheels passing through the overgrown grass, and even Xie Wei’s carefully controlled, shallow breathing, so close to her…

And her own heartbeat!

In this tense, extreme silence, time seemed to stretch endlessly.

Jiang Xuening couldn’t even tell how much time had passed.

She only realized her whole body had gone numb when she heard Dao Qin quietly approach the carriage and whisper, “It seems they’ve been led away. No one is following us for now.”

Xie Wei’s brow remained furrowed, his tense body not relaxing.

Jiang Xuening’s lips moved as if to speak.

But in the urgency of the moment, Xie Wei, fearing she might panic and cry out, revealing their position, had covered her mouth firmly, his palm pressed against her lips. Now, as she tried to speak, her lips brushed against his palm.

It was a soft sensation.

The touch against the vulnerable part of his palm added a layer of moist, ambiguous intimacy.

Xie Wei felt a slight electric tingle in his palm.

He turned to look at her, slowly withdrawing his hand.

Jiang Xuening finally took a deep breath, quickly sitting up against the carriage wall and placing a hand on her chest, which was still heaving from her rapid heartbeat. She whispered urgently, “What’s going on?”

The carriage, originally meant for one, now held two people. Xie Wei’s tall frame made the space feel even more cramped, almost crowded.

He sat cross-legged in the carriage.

And simply replied, “A diversion.”

Jiang Xuening nearly rolled her eyes.

Who didn’t know this was a diversion tactic?

The real question was, who was the “threat,” and where had it come from!

She took a deep breath, sorting through the clues from the past few days, and suddenly remembered what she had overheard at the inn in Jinan. A flash of insight struck her: “The Heavenly Sect?”

A faint trace of moisture remained on his palm, a light cherry-pink hue.

In the narrow space, there was a subtle sweetness of powder and perfume.

Xie Wei’s fingers trembled slightly, and his eyelids twitched. He picked up a silk handkerchief from the side and slowly wiped his hand, his brow still tightly furrowed. “Close enough.”

Jiang Xuening instinctively wanted to ask why the Heavenly Sect would want to kill him.

But as she raised her eyes, her gaze met Xie Wei’s, and she noticed the deep, dangerous stillness in his lowered posture. Suddenly, she remembered her past life. Back then, the Heavenly Sect had dared to assassinate the emperor!

What was targeting Xie Wei, a close confidant of the emperor, compared to that?

It was entirely normal.

She sighed. “These outlaws have nerves of steel. But on this official road, I doubt they’d dare to act too brazenly, and their numbers can’t be too large. With your foresight and strategic mind, Master, there’s no need to worry about them.”

Jiang Xuening had faith in Xie Wei.

But Xie Wei remained silent, his expression grim.

At that moment, Jiang Xuening’s heart sank, and she had a vague feeling that this situation might not be as simple as it seemed.

Sure enough, before they had even sat quietly in the carriage for two quarters of an hour, Dao Qin suddenly shouted from outside, “Stop!”

Everyone quickly reined in their horses.

The carriage came to a halt.

The surroundings fell into silence.

This section of the official road was already far from Jinan City, near a mountain valley. To the east and west were continuous mountain ranges, and there were almost no households in sight. It was so quiet that even the sound of the wind rustling through the trees could be heard clearly.

Looking far in the direction they had come from—

A flock of crows suddenly took flight from the forest, and faintly, the sound of hoofbeats grew closer!

Dao Qin’s pupils constricted sharply, and he almost immediately drew the long sword tied to his saddle. He cursed under his breath and said to the driver ahead, “They’ve caught up. Hurry, go!”

The driver cracked his whip, and the horses immediately surged forward, galloping at full speed.

The ride became much bumpier than before.

Jiang Xuening, caught off guard, tumbled forward.

Fortunately, Xie Wei was quick and had been prepared. He cushioned her forehead just in time, preventing her from hitting the window ledge and potentially disfiguring herself.

Jiang Xuening didn’t have time to cry out in pain. She covered her head and asked, “Has Jian Shu’s side already been exposed?”

Xie Wei’s voice was deep and grave. “Not that quickly.” The group that had split off with Jian Shu, though not large in number, consisted of skilled fighters, each capable of taking on ten opponents. Even if they were discovered and a fight broke out, the pursuers wouldn’t be able to deal with them so quickly and then turn around to catch up with them!

In a flash of insight, another ominous premonition crept into Xie Wei’s mind.

He lifted the carriage curtain and stepped out, his voice cold as he shouted, “Dao Qin, the horse!”

Dao Qin was momentarily stunned, but relying on years of experience with Xie Wei, he didn’t hesitate. With a slap on his saddle, he leaped into the air, directly yielding his horse and landing on the carriage shaft.

Xie Wei swiftly mounted the horse.

Then he called into the carriage, “Ning’er, come out!”

Jiang Xuening’s heart raced, and she didn’t have time to think about what had occurred. She quickly scrambled out of the carriage.

Before she could even steady herself, her waist was gripped tightly.

Her vision blurred, and she felt the world spin as Xie Wei pulled her onto the horse in front of him, holding her in his arms!

Almost simultaneously, the sound of hoofbeats behind them became clear.

Faint shouts could be heard.

Then came the sharp, whistling sound of arrows cutting through the air—dozens of feathered arrows were flying toward them!

“Thud! Thud!”

The rear half of the carriage was instantly turned into a pincushion!

Dao Qin slashed two arrows with his sword. He was both shocked and horrified, turning to Xie Wei and saying, “The sect could never have such skilled archers!”

Arrows flew chaotically, and in the darkness, it was hard to see clearly.

A surge of ferocity rose in Xie Wei’s heart.

As the sound of an arrow whistled past his ear, his brows turned icy cold. In a flash, he flicked his finger toward the darkness beside him!

“Snap!”

The arrow speeding through the darkness was instantly deflected.

Jiang Xuening felt a cold breeze brush past her cheek—the arrow had grazed her ear, a hair’s breadth from disaster!

The pursuers had not yet appeared, but the rain of arrows had arrived first!

It didn’t take much thought to realize how many people were behind them.

Xie Wei’s fingers tightened on the reins as he glanced toward the dense forest to the west. After a quick consideration, his voice was icy as he decisively said, “You all continue forward!”

Dao Qin immediately responded, “Yes!”

Jiang Xuening, still shaken, hadn’t yet figured out what Xie Wei meant by his words when she felt him turn the horse and charge into the deep, dark forest beside them!

The heavy shadows of the trees, under the night sky and the wilderness, were layered and obscure.

The horse, frightened, ran swiftly.

It didn’t feel like they were riding into the forest—it felt more like the deep, silent forest was rushing toward them. The cold wind in her face drowned out Jiang Xuening’s words, forcing her to shrink into Xie Wei’s arms and tightly close her eyes.

Soon, the sound of clashing weapons came from behind.

Occasionally, there were screams and shouts.

But it was too chaotic to judge the situation.

Xie Wei didn’t look back even once.

His calmness was almost ruthless.

The horse galloped deeper into the forest.

Although the arrows from the assassins had reached them, they were still some distance away. In the darkness, it was impossible to immediately determine that they had left the carriage or that a horse was missing from the group—

This was their greatest chance of survival!

After what felt like an eternity of galloping, the forest ahead grew denser, and low-lying thorns began to appear on the ground. The terrain sloped downward, and the horse, unwilling to go further, gradually slowed.

Xie Wei dismounted and held out a hand to Jiang Xuening. “Get down.”

Jiang Xuening instinctively placed her hand in his palm.

He exerted force, his other hand supporting her waist as he helped her down. Once she was steady, he didn’t waste time with words. He took the quiver hanging from the saddle and slung it over his shoulder, then gripped the bow and arrow and gave the horse’s rump a hard smack.

The horse, in pain, let out a whinny, reared up, and then bolted into the forest.

It crashed through branches and trampled over rotten leaves, leaving a clear trail behind it.

But Xie Wei didn’t follow that path. Instead, he led Jiang Xuening down the slope ahead.

Jiang Xuening’s mind was in a daze. “What about Dao Qin? And Jian Shu?”

Xie Wei didn’t look back. “They won’t die.”

Jiang Xuening’s heart trembled as she struggled to keep up with him. Suddenly, she felt a strange familiarity with this pitiful situation and let out a laugh, tinged with self-mockery. “I’ve realized something. Whenever I’m with you, Master, there’s never a moment of peace. We’ve only traveled together three times, and each time has been a disaster. First, an ambush, now an assassination—my life is always hanging by a thread!”

“…”

Xie Wei suddenly stopped in his tracks.

Jiang Xuening, caught off guard, bumped into his straight back, wincing in pain. She looked up. “Master?”

Xie Wei turned to look at her. In the forest, only scattered starlight filtered through the gaps in the leaves, falling on his shoulders. His silent figure seemed to blend into the dark forest.

Jiang Xuening suddenly felt nervous. “I didn’t mean…”

Xie Wei turned away silently and said, “You’re right.”

Following me leads to no good end.

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